The Logical Voyage
by Stephen Ratliff
Summary: These Are the Voyages #02. It's T'Pol's turn to take up command


**The Logical Voyage: T'Pol**

ASC Story Header:

Title: The Logical Voyage: T'Pol

Author: Stephen

Series: ENT, These Are the Voyages #02

Codes:

Rating: G

Summary: T'Pol assumes command.

**Part II: The Logical Voyage: T'Pol**

Commander T'Pol straightened her uniform collar again. There had been a time that she had been glad that she hadn't had had where this standard uniform ... then she'd seen the Vulcan proposal for new Star Fleet Uniforms, and the Andorian ... form should follow function, and while the blue uniforms might not be the most aesthetically pleasing of uniforms it was the most functional and adaptable of the uniforms she'd seen. She was glad that they had been chosen, though she was less happy with the Tellarite designed dress uniforms.

A chime announced that mail had arrived as she turned from the mirror. T'Pol walked over to the terminal, and brought up the simple text message.

T'Pol –

I understand that you're up for Captain soon ... would you mind submitting this to me?

Jonathan Archer

T'Pol looked over the short list ... It appeared to be a logical request. She had not known where Captain Archer had been placed. He'd been pulled out of the wake for Trip by the Defense Minister. Her long association with Captain Archer allowed her to project that he was not happy with Minister Samuels. If T'Pol were to be perfectly honest with herself, she wasn't happy with the Minister as well. With Archer there she'd learnt so much about her late lover that just hadn't been said when they were alive. Once Archer had departed, the social gathering had ended, leaving her to come back to these nearly empty rooms which she maintained in the Vulcan Compound.

T'Pol sat down and began filling out the form Captain Archer had sent her. Perhaps it would help her put Trip out of her mind for a bit.

_Name:_ Cmdr. T'Pol

_Current Post:_ Executive and Science Officer, Enterprise NX-01.

_Honors:_ Xindi Expedition Medal, Medal of Honor

_Why I Believe I Should Be Captain:_

I am told that it is time that I apply to be Captain, and logically, I should have the necessary experience for independent command. Over the last decade I have watched you wrestle with the challenges of the job, and thus harbor no illusions as to the job's difficulty or benefit.

I bring a certain logic to the job of Captain, something that has thus far been missing in Star Fleet to date. Logic, as I have learned, however, is not necessarily a benefit to the job. When I was working for Ambassador Soval, I was asked to prepare evaluations of all the officers up to command the Enterprise. My evaluations highlighted logic, steady officers. I was universally wrong at who made the first cut. I did better with the final choice.

If there is one trait which I have seen in the Captains I studied that I believe I share, it is that they a personally driven to succeed, not for themselves, but for more than that. I've seen it in you.

The crew of the Enterprise wants a successor to you. Logically that job falls to me. If Commander Tucker was around, perhaps we could each drive each other to success in command. He seemed to think I would be an excellent captain, and I've attached his recommendation. I hope to live up to it, and live up to your standard.

_Recommendations:_

Commander Charles "Trip" Tucker III:

T'Pol has served as the Executive Officer on the ship I serve as Chief Engineer for the last decade. During that time she has developed into an officer that I will follow gladly. Though she will not admit it, not a rote logic commander, but truly understands command. Perhaps the best I can say as Chief Engineer is that with her, I can expect that my ship is going to be used to it's maximum, and yet still deliver us safely home with her in command.

Ambassador Soval:

I endorse this application for Captain for Commander T'Pol, as she is the logical first Vulcan Captain in Starfleet. I do not believe that anyone will regret her posting. I only regret that she is no longer available to serve Vulcan.

...

Jonathan Archer put down the application which T'Pol had submitted. There were now two dozen of them in his in box. A dozen had already been pushed aside. Those officers would not find their way into command of one of his ships of the line, at least not immediately. T'Pol's was different though.

Archer hadn't read what he'd expected with her. It had lacked what he'd originally expected from her. There was a certain lack of structure to her arguments, a lack that was almost shocking to him. He was well aware of T'Pol's relationship with his old friend Trip. It had been something of an on again off again thing at times, but for the last couple years it had been pretty much steady. He'd even heard them talking about Elizabeth, a topic that had at times resulted in unexpected cold arguments between the two. Trip had told him that they were thinking of having another, and had even given samples to prepare. He'd been happy for his friend, and looked forward to hearing about their family, and perhaps even holding the baby, one day.

Then Trip died, and everything changed. Archer had heard about how T'Pol had retreated, Ambassador Soval had even let him know about T'Pol's quarters. The blank template was nothing like what hers on the Enterprise had developed into. Reed had told him about the visit to the Xindi memorial, where he claimed that T'Pol had shed tears. The incident with the last piece of pecan pie on the Enterprise, that alone had been worrisome.

It was too soon, for her, Archer judged, for her to take up duty, but he wanted her for one of his first three. Perhaps the Glenn, for his former first officer. Her application became the first to go in his Ship of the Line bin.

...

Captain T'Pol stepped on to the Bridge of the CSS Glenn. She made her way to stand beside the empty Captain's chair, as her new crew took their places. Unfolding a piece of parchment, she read out the formal phrasing, a tradition from the world that her ship's namesake had been one of the first to leave it's pull.

"To Captain T'Pol from Rear Admiral Jonathan Archer, Star Fleet Exploration. You are hereby directed and required to proceed to the CSS Glenn, NCC-73, and take command of her as her Captain within two standard days of the receipt of this message. May the wind always be at your back, Captain."

T'Pol turned to her Executive Officer. "Commander Kelby, I am assuming command."


End file.
